I left it overnight, fearful of what I might say if I blogged in the immediate aftermath of the game. I have watched some shocking performances in my 40 plus years as a West Ham fan but NONE have been worse than that second half at Sunderland yesterday. In truth, had Bent not been wearing a blindfold we would have lost that second forty five minutes 4 or 5 nil - against 10 men!
I don't really want to dwell too long on what happened, I was in a foul mood all yesterday evening and typing this is taking back into depression. Kovac was awful. Yes he played a very sweet pass to set Collison away for the first goal but, apart from that, his distribution and positional play were dire. He doesn't track runners, he doesn't close down players in possession, he doesn't put his body in the way of shots and he doesn't tackle without committing a foul. How is he an international footballer and why did we buy him? The referee did us a favour when he sent him off. It removed the illusion of a player protecting the back four and revealed what had been true all game, Kovac may have been occupying a space in body but he was not there in mind. Sunderland players drifted past him and only after they had gone by did Kovac react. He was terrible.
But Kovac wasn't alone. Where was Noble second half? In fact, where was the midfield? We were supposed to have the man advantage but Sunderland always had an extra man free it seemed to me. When we had the ball there was nobody to pass to; when Sunderland had the ball, there were free men all over the pitch.
At the back we were shocking. Time and again, Sunderland broke our "offside trap" because four players couldn't stand in line. Tomkins was the worst example but at times I wondered if Spector was actually on the pitch! And what was Upson doing about it? Nothing because Upson is not a captain. Neill would have been chewing on bollocks had he been there but Upson, as usual, was in his own zone, focused on his own game and offering no leadership on the pitch whatsoever from what I could see. Of course, a lot of the problem was the failure of Kovac and Noble to do their jobs in front of the back four and our failure to make use of our player advantage to retain the ball.
The first Sunderland goal will stay in my memory for ever. I had just had a rant about Kovac failing to read the game and, lo and behold, he failed to track a runner, reacted late, and sandwiched him from behind on the edge of the box. I think the ref booked him for gross incompetence rather than foul play. But what then followed was ludicrous. What did Green think he was doing? He set up the wall and then stood on the far post, leaving half the goal for Reid to score in as soon as he got the ball up and over the wall. Why wasn't there a man positioned on the near post, it was so obvious that that was where the ball was going, once Green had offered an open invitation to put it there and then positioned himself so that he couldn't possibly get there if Reid accepted the invite. Again, where was our captain? Why didn't Upson say, "Hang on, I could score this the way we are set up. Green, move closer to the middle of your goal or get a man on the line to protect that side of the goal!"
But ultimately, the players are not to blame. My question is, what did Zola say at half time? I know what he didn't do, he didn't sent on Diamanti for either Noble or Kovac to give an attacking impetus to the team at the start of the second half. He surely must have said, "Let's try to keep what we have" because, from the kick off, that's the way we played. Sunderland were hungrier for the ball, passed it better, were more positive, won every 50-50 challenge and,to be frank, ran rings around us despite being a player down. It was a disgraceful, shameful and humiliating surrender from ourselves.
What about the first half? We scored two excellent goals but we were never in control of the game, even when two goals ahead - I always felt that Sunderland were dictating the pace of the game. Collison's performance first 45 was superb, but second half? He was as culpable as the rest!
I don't want to dwell on it any longer. Joint bottom now and, on that showing, the table isn't lying. We are a mess.
Ratings: Green 5, Spector 4, Upson 6, Tomkins 4, Ilunga 5, Beharmi 6, Kovac 3, Noble 4, Collison 7, Cole 7, Franco 6
16 comments:
Sunderland fan here, cannot agree more with your report you had us by the goolies at 2-0, but then proceeded to surrender to the point we felt robbed with a draw. Anyway best of luck for the rest of the season your not a bottom three side.
Very rarely does one article reflect my sentiments and thoughts about a match as this one. Very well said. You have identified the major problems why we can't win even when we go up 2-0 and the other team has one man less on the field!
The huge gap in the defence following the sell-out of James Collins is unbridgable. Tomkins is a young promising defender but he can't fill the shoes of JC. You are right about Upson too. He is not a leader which means with the likes of Spector, Gabbidon and Faubert our defence is in disarray.
I also agree with you regarding Kovac and indeed Noble. Noble is very overrated especially in his defensive duties. He very often loses the ball in possession which results in conceding goals to the opposition.
Zola can't decide whether he will attack or defend. I should make it easier for him. With the players we have there is really no reason in trying to keep clean sheets or in making our defence solid. That ship has sailed when the wise guys at West Ham decided to sell JC. Attack is our best form of defence. And we have good enough players to score goals in every game, as we have shown in the last half hour against Arsenal. Why one should keep Hines, Stanislas and Diamanti on the bench is beyond comprehension. Let's find the solution in attack. That's our only hope; for now!
There are people moaning about the referee! How was he responsible? It was definitely a free kick that Reid scored from. The ref didn't make Kovac sandwich the guy from behind did he? And the referee didn't tell Green to stand on his right hand post and leave the near post unprotected did he? I was screaming, "Get a man on the line, get a man on the line!"! With the position Green took, it was essential to protect that near post. As soon as Reid got the ball up and over the wall, he had to score. But no! No leadership from Green or Upson, they simply said, "There you go mate, half the goal to aim at if you get the ball over the wall, have a go!" Was the ref to blame for the second Sunderland goal? Not from what I saw. Did the ref get any major decision wrong? Not from what I saw. Yes he was yellow and red card happy but that worked in our favour surely. Not only did Sunderland lose one of their best players, the liability that is Kovac was removed. The ref did Zola's job for him! Blame the ref? Yeah and the trains that transported the victims were responsible for the Final Solution!
1343, Hi ironsfan! I read your post on the org and I agree. You need to take care mate, you are upsetting a few of the key players over there. daveking is a nasty piece of work. I see he referred you to the boss with his "Over to you Nev" comment. That is his style. Your dig and run comment was spot on but his digs will get you banned from the site, mark my words. Also delmonte is a key player. He clearly thinks you are me. The send to Coventry threat is so typical! He actually ran a thread calling for me to be sent to Coventry when I was a regular contributer because I took him on about his sanctimonious and condescending style. Note the way he shifts his ground when challenged and uses the diversionary approach of attacking the poster rather than staying with the argument. Shame, I think he is an Ok guy, just too full of himself. The Hierros guy is pretending he is new to the site but used to write under the handle of westhamtilIdie. He is another member of the Klan so take care about challenging his opinions - that isn't allowed on the site!
I've enjoyed your contributions mate but that means your days are numbered! Loved your line about Kovac being a concrete bollard being unfair to concrete bollards, I nearly stole it for my article.
You are right about the referee and about Green's positioning as I said in my article. I know you got there first but if I had taken it from you, I would have gladly acredited it to you. Like you, I was saying before the kick was taken what was going to happen, it was so bloody obvious!
Anyway, keep contributing for as long as they let you. I've had run ins with roberto too but you and he seem to be hitting it off ok, sharing a common contempt for daveking's digs at Cole. He is a racist mate, might explain his donkey headed hatred of Carlton!
Hi HF I knew that you’d appreciate me, my style is so similar to yours isn’t it thanks? It’s not hard to see why they might not like me but tough titty for them thanks for the warning. We are so good at this aren’t we they really think we are adults, all that stuff about the Klangers they should have guessed shouldn’t they? Right, I’ve got 4 Klangers to watch out for is that right he he. Dave King who is a nasty piece of work but is somehow connected to the boss, delmonte he thinks you are me, got it, and he thinks we are both sanctimonious and condescending, right, thinks you’re from Coventry too silly arse. Ahhh did he run thread against you, the bastard, bet you were hurt eh, I’ll get him for you while I'm over there? He shifts his ground too, is he a shape shifter then? Hard to pin him down then if he manifests himself as westhamtilidie or is it hierros or is westhamtilidie Hierros, I’m a little confused now? And these three are all klangers right? Roberto he’s the one with the skean dhu is he, and he’s a klanger too or not? I’m sooo pleased you like all my lines you can take any of them you like because they are so similar to yours they won’t know any how but why would my days be numbered they haven’t a clue who I am dumb arses? Glad you told me that dave king is a racist because I did chuck in the bit about the trains and the final solution at the end of my post don’t want him befriending me if he is a donkey headed klingon, I mean klanger, can’t stand them. Cheers HF take care and don’t forget to keep looking behind you for those racist klingons, theyre buggers
LOL No that's not ironsfan's style and I don't think he was suggesting racism with the trains line (oops a pun!), think it was what you call an analogy. You probably deal only in the first four letters of that word! So, is that Billy boy looking in? Was it ironsfan who posted at 1343 or somebody playing silly buggers? Who cares?
agree with all you said except that a man on line would not have stopped that free kick going in and I doubt any keeper would have got near it having been given the open invitation Reid accepted and placed the ball inch perfect in the rightangle hardly any room betwixt ball crossbar and post but it was a totally unacceptable peformance At least Franco runs toward the goal when we're in possesion rather than away from it
hierros at 1343, fcuknose @ 1601. whocares whenever
Deane, a man on the line would have significantly reduced Reid's margin of error. Had it been hit so sweetly, it would still have gone in, I accept, but the point is, I could have scored it! So, there was no pressure on Reid as he took it. He must have been thinking, "Is it Christmas already?"
So we know who the bad guys are who are the good guys?
1646, that depends. Racists support the BNP so would not term them bad guys would they? Mr King refused to condemn the BNP so nailing his colours to the mast.
1628, I agree. Live and let live I say. Debate, who cares who is speaking, stick to the issues! But try to avoid foul language and spelling errors!
we are going down.
Where to begin? We were probably guilty of over-reacting to Sunday’s draw with Arsenal and now we are equally guilty of over-reacting to yesterday’s draw with Sunderland.
Yes, it’s a shocker to concede two to a 10 man side and, in all honesty, it could have been even more humiliating.
Feel a bit for Zola though, if he had introduced Diamanti or Hines at the start of the second half in search of a ‘killer’ third goal and we had then conceded he would have been accused of being tactically naïve and failing to protect the advantage we had. He can hardly have expected the team to fold so abjectly.
I suppose it comes down to confidence, or lack of it. We came into the game with a little confidence under our belt from the fight-back against Arsenal and for the first forty five minutes it stood us in good stead. However, it is the most fragile of all qualities and once Sunderland put us under pressure all the old doubts and anxieties resurfaced. I won’t say errors crept into our game they more ran amok throughout the entire team.
Green is a brilliant shot stopper but he isn’t a commanding presence in the penalty area. As a defender it is hard enough to deal with what is coming at you without having to worry about what is going on behind you. Tomkins looked particularly uncertain at times but this may have been because he was worried about Green’s positioning and whether he would have to cover an area he should be able to reasonably expect the keeper to be dealing with.
I know you don’t like him but I also think that yesterday showed just how important Scott Parker is to the team. We desperately needed the additional protection he gives defence and his tireless work rate. Personally, I’d make him captain.
I see that your old sparring partner on the Org. describes Kovac as a utility player, whatever that is? Utility player always puts me in mind of a jack of all trades, master of none type. I’m not even certain what it is that he is supposed to bring to the party but whatever it is it ain’t good enough for this standard of football. Is he a Czech version of Nigel Quashie I wonder?
However, despite all the above there is some small reason for hope. We need the battling qualities that we showed in the second half against Arsenal and the assured passing of the first half yesterday. Steve Clarke’s got a hell of a job on his hands setting up the defence but if anyone can do it, he can.
Oh, and let’s not forget, Cole continues to score and Franco knows where the back of the net is too!
S4W
- - going down
You having a Paris Hilton moment Anonymous 17:25?
S4W
Where the hell is Gabiddon? Every game we've played with Tomkins this season we've conceded at least 2!? We need to sort out our defence pronto!
Are there any center halfs we could loan in till xmas? Senderos, Alex or Nedem Onuoha spring to mind.
Fuming right now.
I see even Aycliffe has had enough of our friend from North of the border.
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